Page 45 of Cursed Wolf

Heat flares over me at seeing how absolutely gorgeous she looks. My mouth opens to introduce her, but Jae’s voice cuts me off.

“Narah, this is Meira, who I told you about. She saved my ass so many times and took me in. She’s an angel.” Jae drags Meira by the hand over to Narah to be introduced, stealing my moment. Kaira’s with them, and I’m on the outside of the group with Crius, Lucien, and Bardhyl standing awkwardly. The guards keep their distance.

I turn to the Alphas, feeling as if we’ve all been kicked aside. “So, is Dušan around?”

Lucien shakes his head. “He’s out for the day. He’ll return tonight.”

Silence. I’m seething that the asshole guards tried to push us back two nights.

“You traveled the whole way in a carriage?” Bardhyl asks, reaching for conversation while the girls talk up a storm. “What’s it like? Up in the Savage Sector?”

“Full of fucking undead. Seems they’re migrating north,” Crius butts in. “Thanks for sending them our way,” he smirks mockingly.

“You better be prepared and build some big walls around your pack home,” Lucien adds, scanning the stone wall that looks newly built around their home.

Grasping the strength not to joke that we have yet to lay claim to the Savage Sector, I just nod with a tight grin. I draw in a sharp breath, knowing if Ragnar and Dušan were here, we’d already be inside the compound, most likely eating. I could eat a whole boar right now. My gut groans at the thought of roast meat and the crackling meat.

Meira suddenly turns toward us, smiling radiantly at her two Alphas. They stare at her like she’s their sun, captivated by her attention.

“Narah’s gonna give birth any day now,” she says sternly. “We have to get her inside.” She looks at me with kindness, and I can see why she and Jae bonded so easily. They are so similar with huge hearts. “Any friend of Jae is our friend. Come inside before night arrives. I’m sure you have a lot to tell us.”

“That we do,” I respond. “She needs to be off her feet, and she’s starving right now.” Narah narrows her gaze at me, and I wink back at my gorgeous babe.

Meira nudges her men into urgency, and we’re ushered quickly toward the compound.

Narah slips her hand into mine, and she looks up at me cheekily, whispering, “Nice move. Using me as your excuse to be fed.”

I chuckle and lean in for a quick kiss on her forehead. “You have no idea how starved I am.”

She rolls her eyes as we make our way toward the entry gates.

The guards guide the carriage driver inside the protection of their twelve-foot fences, along with the horse-drawn carriage.

Looks like there’s no turning back now. I shuffle through my mind for an explanation, well aware I have no intention of mentioning Ragnar’s demand for forty females once he arrives at Shadowlands Sector. Though there’s nothing that says I can’t ask a few questions about how they collect and trade Omegas before Dušan returns.

I’d have to ask without the women overhearing. No sense stirring up that hornets’ nest if I don’t have to. Narah will kill me if she finds out what Rangar promised, and it could put her sisters in danger of discovering the reason for our trip.

15

RAGNAR

We’ve finally arrived.

I catch my breath as I climb off the horse and clasp the reins in my fist. The Shadowlands Sector compound stands like a mountain before Nikos and me.

Darkness swallows the landscape as the breeze whispers in my ears, and my heartbeat is pounding. We’d raced here on horseback, pausing only to change horses in nearby towns to avoid riding them to death. For the entire trip, I kept searching the woods, worried I’d find the carriage broken down or attacked and my little fox in danger.

I’m fucked up like that in the head, always expecting the worse. Growing up, I’d told myself believing the worst would happen meant I would never be disappointed. I now see how toxic that was and how much my father impacted my life.

So, I hold on to the thought that Narah will be alright. Though, standing at the front gates of the Ash Wolves’ home, my chest constricts that we won’t find her here.

Nikos bangs a fist on the lofty front gates. He looks as battered and bloody as me, though our injuries are minor—bruised ribs, cuts, things that heal quickly for us. Most of the blood belongs to the numerous rogue Alphas and Beta males who attacked us. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the undead who caused us trouble, but these fucking starved wolf shifters who live like wild beasts in the woods, charging at anyone to steal everything from them. The bastards got some good hits in, but we also left them as corpses in our wake.

A scuffing sound from overhead has us both raising our gazes to the guard looming on the watchtower, gun in hand and smacking his lips, staring down at us.

Lifting my chin, I state, “I’m Ragnar, Alpha of the Savage Sector, here to speak with Dušan.” It’s the middle of the fucking night, and my skin crawls, knowing we’re out in the open, easy targets.

With another smack of his lips, the guard clears his throat, taking his time to respond.

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